Piano pedal operating attachment



p 1940. E. e. EGE ET AL 2,213,800

PIANO PEDAL OPERATING ATTACHMENT Filed June 12, 1939 INVENTORS finer 6/4/72- Eye FazrwV/e M77445 ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 3, 1940 S lZ tTiES UNi'i' 2,2l3,8il

PATENT OFFHQE tiinans, Baton Rouge, La., assignors to Jenkins Music Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application J nne 12, 1939, Serial No. 278,622

5 Claims.

Our invention relates to a piano pedal operating attachment and more particularly to a device which may be attached or used in connection with pianos enabling the operation of its pedals by children and persons with short legs.

The distance between the piano keyboard and the pedals is usually fixed by the construction of the instrument and is designed for average persons. Children and persons with short legs have difiiculty in reaching the pedals. If the seat is low enough to enable them to reach the pedals, their hands are thrown into the wrong position for playing. If the hands and arms are in the proper position for playing, then diiiiculty is enr countered by children and persons with short legs in operating the pedals.

If people with short legs such as children attempt to operate the pedals, which they cannot comfortably reach, it results in fatigue, impeding their progress in the study of the piano. Many pedal extensions have been suggested, but the difficulty and drawback of these has been that there has been no place provided to rest the heel of the foot.

One object of our invention is to provide an attachment which may be used with pianos enabling children and people with short legs to operate the pedals comfortably.

Another object of our invention is to provide a .pedal operating means which may be readily adjusted in height and which will provide a foot rest for the feet of the player.

Other and further objects of our invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of the instant specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views;

Figure l is a side elevation of a pedal operating attachment for pianos, showing one embodiment of our invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the pedal operating attachment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken along the line ll of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing, we provide a pair of base members I and 2 to which we pivot U-rods 3 and 4. The rod 3 is pivoted in brackets 5, attached to member 5, and 5 attached to member 2. The rod 4 is pivoted in bracket "l attached to member I, and bracket 8 attached to member 2. The vertical portions of the rods 3 and 4 are of equal length and pivotally support a platform 9. The platform 9 is provided with a pair of brackets I at its rear end for pivotally receiving a transverse portion of the U-rod 3 and a pair of brackets ll intermediate its rear and forward portions for pivotally receiving the ends l2 of the U-rod -i. The distance between brackets 6 and B is equal to the distance between brackets Ill and l I. It will be seen therefore, that we have provided a parallel motion and that the platform 9 will move to a plurality of positions, all of which are parallel to the base members i and 2. To the transverse portion E3 of the U-rod i we attach a clamp l4, adapted to receive an extension rod 15. When the thumb screw it of the clamp M is tightened, it will clamp rod ii: to the cross member I 3. The end of rod i is provided with an upstanding portion l6, covered with a rubber or felt sleeve ll. The extension rod it is adapted to pass underneath the body of a piano and engage its rear end, as can readily be seen by reference to Figure 1. The position at which the clamp l4 secures the rod E5 to the cross rod [3 will determine the height at which the platform 9 will ultimately come to rest. It will be observed, by reference to Figure 1, that the front edge of the platform I9 is covered with felt 18. The parts are placed in the position shown in Figure l, with the platform resting against the front edge of the piano. If it is desired to lower the platform, the thumb screw it of the clamp I4 is loosened and the base members l and 2 moved away from the piano allowing the platform 9 to pivot, lowering the position of the platform. When the desired height is reached, the thumb screw i6 is tightened. The assembly is then adjusted for proper height. For purposes of simplicity, we have shown only one pedal operating device. It will be observed, by reference to Figure 2 that we provide a slot l9 adjacent the forward end of the platform 9. Housed within the slot l9 we provide a ferrule having a collar 2|. The ferrule is externally threaded and adapted to receive a nut 227 A washer 23 of larger diameter than the width of the slot I9 is adapted to be clamped by the nut 22 against the under side of the platform 9. A

rod 24 is slidable within the ferrule 2i. A sleeve 24 carries a rubber tip 29 adapted to rest upon the pedal 30 of the piano. The whole assembly may be positioned laterally until the slot is in line with the pedal 30. The ferrule 2| may be adjusted longitudinally of the slot to bring the lower end of the rod over the pedal 30, which is to be operated. The feet of the operator rest upon the platform 9. The toe of the operators foot may operate the pedal 30 through the extension pedal 27.

It is believed that the operation of our assembly will be clear from the foregoing description. It will be seen that we have accomplshed the objects of our invention. We have provided a pedal operating attachment for pianos which will enable the operation of the pedals of the piano by children and persons with short legs in a comfortable manner, eliminating the fatigue that would ensue ifchildren attempt to operate the pedals of a piano. The operation of the pedal is an important part in playing the piano and, in certain compositions, proper expression cannot be given without operating the pedals. It will be obvious, of course, that a plurality of rods 24 may be fitted in the platform 9 to operate other pedals of the piano.

It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of our claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A piano pedal operating attachment adapted to be used with pianos including in combination a base member, an elongated tension member, means for securing one end of said tension member to the piano, means for securing the other end of said tension member to said base member, a platform, supporting means pivotally secured to said base member, said supporting means carrying said platform in abutment with the piano, a rod slidably carriedby said platform, the lower end of said rod being adapted to be sup-ported by the piano pedal to be operated, and an extension pedal carried by said rod above said platform,

member, a platform supported by said supporting means for motion parallel to said base member, said platform being adapted to abut the front side of a piano, a slot formed in said platform, a ferrule adjustably mounted in said slot, a vertical rod slidably mounted in said ferrule, and an extension pedal adjustably mounted upon said rod above said platform.

3. In a piano pedal operating attachment, a base member, means for positioning said base member a predetermined distance from the piano, a parallel motion supporting means carried by said base member, a platform supported by said means for movement parallel to said base member, said platform being adapted to abut the front side of the piano, a vertical rod slidably supported in said platform and an extension pedal adjustably mounted upon said rod above said platform.

4. A pedal operating attachment for pianos including in combination a platform, means for mounting said platform above the pedals of a I piano, a vertical rod slidably carried by said platform, means carried by the lower end of said rod adapted to rest upon the pedal to be operated, an extension pedal slidably mounted upon said rod above said platform and means for adjustably securing said extension pedal to said rod.

5. In a pedal operating device for pianos, a platform, means for adjustably positioning said platform a predetermined distance above a piano pedal to be operated, said platform being formed with a slot, a ferrule adjustably mounted in said slot, a vertical rod slidably positioned in said ferrule, the lower end of said rod being provided with means adapted to contact the pedal to be operated, an extension pedal adiustably secured to said rod above said platform, said pedal being formed with a downwardly extending portion adapted to extend into said slot whereby to prevent rotation of said extension pedal.

ELMER. GRANT EGE. FONVILLE WINANS. 

